One of the goals of the Arqus European University Alliance is to develop joint programmes at all levels based on the results of the previous project period and on bottom-up proposals from partner universities. In Arqus I, three joint master’s programmes were successfully implemented as pilot projects. This project has therefore built on the findings of Arqus I.
A call was launched for joint programme development in spring 2024 (https://arqus-alliance.eu/call/implementation-of-joint-programmes/).
Proposals were approved by the Arqus Education Board and the Rectors’ Council during the Arqus Annual Conference 2024 in Braga. Five MA proposals and two BA proposals were approved for funding. All programmes are expected to contribute to the implementation of the European degree label.
All programmes have been supported with advanced workshops on different topics relevant to joint programme development. The prepared joint programmes will be submitted for evaluation and accreditation to an accreditation agency using the European Approach (EA). Using the EA is considered to be good practice ensuring that all the criteria for the organisation of a joint programme are met. The developed programmes should, in addition to the criteria of the EA, also take into account the following criteria of the future Arqus Label to be developed within the project: interdisciplinarity, multilingualism, innovative teaching, learning components and flexible mobility pathways. Around 500 students and learners are expected to be enrolled in Arqus joint programmes.
